


helter skelter

by milkdaze (flowerstems)



Series: queen of hearts [6]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-11 09:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5621722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerstems/pseuds/milkdaze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Are you the same Iris that’s had a crush on Laurel since you were seventeen?” Felicity has such a lovely smile, Iris thinks, it’s no wonder Laurel fell in love with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	helter skelter

**Author's Note:**

> the flash/flarrow fics always end up lighter than arrow fics. this makes more sense after [Sturm und Drang](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5440967).  
> headcanon that laurel and iris know each other because their dads work together and iris has had the biggest crush on laurel since forever.

One night, Starling's Blackmask comes to Central City.

Iris knows it's her because when the mugger steals her laptop and runs like hell, Iris and Barry chase after him. He knocks Barry out with a few hits, turns on Iris, and Iris has two seconds to scream.

She's there in a flash of blonde hair, grabbing the man and shoving him away from Iris, baseball bat swinging with precision and Iris hears something—the man's skull—crack from where she's standing. He falls to the pavement with a heavy sound and blood seeps from his head, slowly staining the concrete. Iris looks up, eyes a little too wide, mind a little too excited for her to say anything other than thank you, and the woman returns Iris' laptop before running off.

A ski mask can only hide so much and Iris sees her eyes: clear and focused, bright even in the dark, fixed on Iris with a conviction Iris had never seen before. Where Iris expects to see ferocity she instead sees a familiar kindness and she stands under the streetlight, staring after the woman's shadow until she remembers Barry had gotten knocked out trying to help her.

When Barry comes to Iris can't stop herself from telling him about it. He smiles but eyes her with worry and Iris pretends she doesn't see it. He keeps saying she's bad news, _anyone running around at night and beating people senseless has to be bad news_ , but Iris doesn't see it that way.

Blackmask is a goddamn hero, and Iris would give anything to meet her again.

 

* * *

 

When Barry falls into a coma Iris thinks the light of her life has been dimmed, not gone, she'll never say gone. She'll be damned if she says he's gone. Sometimes when she's visiting him a blonde woman visits as well—Iris doesn't get excited over every blonde she sees, but this woman is from Starling (just like the Blackmask) so Iris can't help getting a little excited.

She walks over and adjusts her glasses, smiles when she sees Iris and introduces herself as Felicity. "I met Barry when he visited Starling a month ago."

“So you’re Felicity!” Iris walks over and pulls her into a hug, “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“From Barry?”

“From Laurel,” Iris says, holding Felicity at arm’s length to get as good a look of her as she can manage. She's beautiful, Iris has to admit it, as beautiful as Laurel said, but she isn't Blackmask—her eyes are different. They're just as clear, just as bright and beautiful, but they're not the eyes of the woman who took down a mugger just to return Iris' laptop.

“Are you the same Iris that’s had a crush on Laurel since you were seventeen?” Felicity has such a lovely smile, Iris thinks, it’s no wonder Laurel fell in love with it.

“Is that how she talks about me with her girlfriend?”

They get along well, and Felicity doesn't fill in Barry's space nor does she take up Blackmask's mantle but she keeps Iris company while Iris keeps Barry company.

 

* * *

 

“Do you still have a crush on Laurel?” It’s out of the blue, Iris thinks, that’s obviously why she jumps and feels embarrassed all at once.

“Well, yes,” Iris manages, embarrassed still, then she remembers she’s talking to Laurel’s girlfriend, "but I’m not jealous of you or anything! You’re wonderful, you absolutely deserve Laurel.”

“Thank you,” Felicity’s smile has gotten wider, and her cheeks are almost as pink as her lipstick, “but that wasn’t why I asked.”

Iris is confused now. “Then, why did you ask?”

“Laurel’s last girlfriend was totally jealous, right? She wouldn’t let you near Laurel.” Iris nods, shivers at the thought of that last woman’s scowl—Iris was sure, then, that Laurel had a thing for vicious women, but maybe she just doesn’t know Felicity that well yet. “I’m not like Laurel’s last girlfriend.”

 

* * *

 

An hour later Iris is still confused, but now she’s in Felicity’s hotel room, sitting at the foot of the bed while Felicity lies across the bed, head pillowed by Iris’ lap as she eats potato chips and watches yet another rerun of Doctor Who.

It’s a little after ten when the episode ends and the room’s door opens, and Iris’ heart flutters in a way it hasn’t for a long time.

Laurel Lance walks in, beautiful as she was the last time Iris saw her, and the time before that, and the time before that. She sweeps in, hair blonde now (Iris misses the brown a little but Laurel is just as stunning either way), ducks down to kiss Felicity chastely and Felicity smiles as though she has the entire world before her. Then she tells Laurel, “Go on,” so softly Iris almost doesn’t hear it and Laurel straightens up just enough to be able to look Iris in the eyes.

If Laurel can hear Iris’ heart hammering out of her chest she politely ignores it, and when Laurel leans in close enough for their lips to ghost over each other Iris swears she’s going to pass out. She’s only ever hopelessly dreamed of this for years.

When Laurel kisses her Iris wonders why she never tried to kiss Laurel before, then she wonders if she would be capable of memorising the exact curve of Laurel’s lips, the slight stickiness of her lipstick, the aftertaste of her coffee.

She hears Felicity hum and it sounds so far away; Laurel pulls back slowly and her smile is dazzling. “Hey Iris, long time no see.”

Iris nods and then she looks down to see Felicity smiling so brightly that Iris can’t help smiling back. Felicity sits up and pulls Laurel to sit between them, kissing her cheek then reaching around Laurel to rub Iris’ shoulder.

“See, Iris?” Iris thinks she’s seen the beginning and end of all there is. Laurel’s sitting comfortably between them, unbuttoning her suit jacket and Iris prays Felicity keeps talking otherwise she’s going to sit and gape at Laurel until morning.

Felicity nuzzles Laurel’s shoulder and Laurel pecks her forehead before turning to kiss Iris’ cheek. Felicity sits up behind Laurel, pulls her jacket off, and Laurel eases Iris back onto the bed, trailing kisses from her cheek to her lips then down along her neck. Felicity is kissing Laurel’s shoulder, fingers working on getting her blouse off, and she looks at Iris with that wide smile.

So this is what Felicity meant.

 

* * *

 

When Iris wakes up she sees Felicity kissing Laurel goodbye and is conscious enough to shout a goodbye as Laurel walks out the door, conscious enough to see Laurel’s smile as she leaves, and she’s left lying beside Felicity.

“So?” Felicity asks and Iris laughs, not sure what she should say.

“So?” Iris echoes and Felicity hits her with a pillow.

“We can make this a thing, you know,” Iris quirks a brow, rolls onto her side to see her better and Felicity looks beautiful in morning light. “You, me, Laurel. She said if you don’t mind then—”

“Yes.” Iris says; she may never get an opportunity like this again, she’s going to grab it and wring the life out of it if she has to. “Yes, in every language, hell yes.”

“You know, I wonder why you never just asked Laurel out.”

“Are you kidding me?” Iris responds immediately. Laurel has always been amazing, so, so amazing and so, so wonderful. “Have you seen Laurel? She’s out of my league.”

Felicity props herself up on an elbow, looking at Iris with a smile that is so soft around the edges but knows so much that Iris just sighs, dreamy, thinking of the way Laurel smiled before she left, the way the sunlight catches on Felicity’s skin, her smile.

“She disagrees.” Felicity says, eyes fixed on Iris, intent. “We both do.”

Iris sits up then, her shadow blocking Felicity’s sunlight, and she feels confident in a way she had forgotten was the norm for her. She dares to lean over, to kiss Felicity softly and her lips are pliant, opening for Iris and Iris thinks this feels like unwrapping a gift, the same way she felt when Laurel kissed her last night.

She lies beside Felicity, Felicity who is just as beautiful as she was when they first met a few months ago, Felicity who is looking at her so fondly Iris feels her heart swell. “My mistake.”

“You look pretty,” Felicity says instead, eyes sparkling in a way that is Felicity’s and Laurel’s alone, “just like Laurel said.”

 

* * *

 

Barry gets transferred to S.T.A.R. Labs and Felicity visits with the same consistency Iris does, which Iris is grateful for because, sometimes, when she’s alone talking to Barry and he doesn’t respond it gets hard to think that he ever will. Felicity makes it easier to believe that he will wake up, one day, someday soon.

 

* * *

 

There's a newsflash regarding Blackmask—worry that she's moved over to Central City—and Iris catches Felicity smiling at the television.

"She's a hero, right?" Iris says and Felicity jumps in her seat.

"Uh, what?"

"Blackmask," Iris continues, smiling despite Felicity's expression, "despite what the media says, she's a hero. She even helped me a while back."

“Yeah, she loves helping people. I mean it's so dangerous sometimes I wish she'd take a night off but she insists—”

"Do you know her?" Iris asks, spinning in excitement to fully face Felicity, studying her face for any tell-tale signs. What Iris wouldn't give to meet Blackmask.

"What? No, no way!" Felicity fidgets, pulls her purse to her chest, fingers rummaging through it without purpose, and tries to change the subject but Iris refuses to let this go. There's no way she can let it go.

"Felicity, please. I want to—I need to meet her."

Felicity looks at her, apprehensive. Then she sighs and takes out her phone.

Iris doesn't know who she calls or what they say, but by the time Felicity hangs up, flashing her a wary smile, Iris guesses at what happened.

 

* * *

 

A week later Felicity invites Iris to her hotel room, it’s different from the first, and Felicity says she and Laurel like to move around. When she arrives Felicity lets her in, and another blonde is standing in the small space between the door and the only bed in the room.

Iris thinks her legs will give out and she'll fall to the floor before her idol without so much as a hello.

Instead Iris manages to walk up to her, steps slow and deliberate, the sound of her heels clacking on the floor just loud enough to convince her that everything is real, and when she musters the courage to look at her eyes Iris knows this woman is the woman that saved her that night.

Suddenly Iris is aware she's just one woman, just like Felicity or Iris herself, but Iris feels so incredibly small in her presence. This woman dons a ski mask and swings a baseball bat and does things Iris doesn't think she'll ever be capable of doing.

Iris doesn't know what to say, she doesn't know how to stand or what to do, but then Felicity is behind her, hand a comforting weight on her shoulder and Iris relaxes.

"You said you wanted to meet your hero," Felicity says, amusement evident despite how quietly she speaks. "You can talk, she won't bite."

"I," Iris says then chokes on her words. She really doesn't know what to say, she's drawing a blank despite herself, but the woman stands before her, eyes just as kind and familiar as she remembers and that's what she says. Felicity makes a surprised sound beside her and Iris adds, "I mean, thank you for saving me."

"You don't have to thank me," is the slightly muffled reply, and Iris thinks she does, but the woman's eyes crinkle as though she's smiling under the mask and Iris is at a loss for words yet again.

"You know, it's funny," Felicity starts, and Iris can't help but notice how quickly the woman's eyes dart to look at her, "Iris never asked who you are. She just insisted that she had to meet you and now she's all shy."

Iris will admit being shy isn't her usual thing, but Iris feels speechless in the presence of this woman. Must be a side effect of meeting your hero.

"She called you a hero and everything, but I think your mask is making her shy."

"Should I take it off?" the woman asks and Felicity chuckles.

"You can do whatever you want."

"True," the woman laughs, and Iris thinks she and Felicity have a lot in common—beautiful eyes, beautiful smiles. Iris doesn't know what to say. "Iris, would you feel better if I took off the mask?"

"But that would defeat the purpose of you wearing it, right?"

"I wear it so the police won't arrest me and friends of the people I beat up won't come looking."

"But you don't hide your hair?" Why is she asking these questions? Iris would have given up each and every one of her worldly possessions to be able to catch a glimpse of this woman's jawline a week ago. Now she's offering to take off her mask and Iris is blurting questions she wishes she wouldn't.

"Because there is no officer or criminal dedicated enough to ask every blonde in the city if she wears a ski mask and beats people up with a baseball bat." The woman chuckles, "Did you ever think I was wearing a wig? Most people assume I am."

Okay, no, Iris never considered that.

The woman pulls the ski mask up and off her head easily, throwing it onto the bed behind her and fingering the tangles out of her hair. She’s not wearing a wig but that isn't Iris' main concern at the moment.

"Laurel." Iris isn't sure which is more shocking, the fact that she met Blackmask today or the fact that Blackmask is Laurel Lance. "But, last month—you came to help my dad with a case."

“I did.”

“And this time… you came with Felicity to visit Barry.”

Everything is starting to make a lot of sense.

"I did." she's smiling and she's as beautiful in the plain black clothes as she is in her suits. Iris starts piecing everything together and every time Blackmask appeared in Central City was a time Laurel Lance was in Central City.

"But, Blackmask only appeared a year ago? I've known you so much longer than a year!" Iris presses a hand to her forehead "Oh my God, I looked you in the eyes and I didn't recognise you?"

"I didn't want to tell you just yet."

"Why not?"

"Because," Laurel seems to falter for a moment, but Felicity walks over, presses a kiss to her cheek and Laurel relaxes so easily Iris thinks it's only natural, "I wanted to, you know, get better at it first."

Iris wants to be irritated, she really does, but it's just like Laurel to keep a secret because she wants the surprise to be impressive. "Oh, Laurel. I should have known it was you from the moment you saved me last month."

Laurel looks genuinely surprised, eyes opening wide and Iris can't believe she didn't realise Laurel was Blackmask sooner. "Why?"

"Because I was totally speechless. That only happens when you’re around.” Iris walks over, takes Laurel’s face in her hands and kisses her. She’s not wearing lipstick and there’s no lingering aftertaste of coffee in her mouth, but Iris still feels as though she’s unwrapping a present, as though the wants to engrave the softness of Laurel’s mouth into her long-term memory. “You always go crazy when it comes to saving the world."

Laurel laughs and Felicity chuckles, nuzzling Laurel’s shoulder affectionately and Iris feels her heart swell at the sight. "Only you and Felicity say that anymore."

"Because we're the only ones who know how true it is," Felicity says, laughing and wiggling her eyebrows and Laurel asks how crazy Felicity thinks she is. "You're totally crazy, Laurel. You wear a ski mask and beat people up with a baseball bat and I love it."

“I love it, too,” Iris says, dropping an arm around Laurel’s waist and wrapping the other around Felicity’s waist, pulling her closer. She squeezes them both in a hug then kisses Felicity, once on the cheek and twice on the mouth, “Felicity, if you weren’t so amazing I’d still be pining over Laurel and the Blackmask like a high school girl.”

“Always happy to help,” Felicity hums, smile content.

“I’d love to stay in your arms, but I have some criminals to beat fear into—”

“Laurel, it’s almost 3. In the morning.” Felicity levels her with a growl and Laurel narrows her eyes, but Iris can tell who’s won the argument already. “They can wait until tomorrow.”

“But—”

“Bed. Now.”

Laurel sighs her agreement and pries herself from the embrace, leaving Iris and Felicity to wait for her to change.

“Can I stay the night?” Iris asks. She doesn’t get why she’s doing it, but she figures she may as well.

Felicity looks at her, frown gone in a moment, replaced by that bright smile. She takes off her glasses, resting them on the end table then she pulls Iris over to the bed. “Of course. It’s been a while since you’ve spent the night, anyway.”

Iris would kiss Felicity if Felicity hadn’t been kissing her already.

**Author's Note:**

> iris came up with the name, not me.  
> Flarrow femslash week-Saturday: Favorite OT3/Poly Ship AND/OR College/High School AU


End file.
